This Week at Phipps: Aug. 4 – 10

By Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

There's always something new to see and do at Phipps! This weekly blog post provides a run-down of the latest happenings so you can plan your visit. Events listed below require no advance registration unless noted otherwise. 

Open Daily: 

• Summer Flower Show: Jungle Quest
  Open now through Sept. 21, Summer Flower Show: Jungle Quest invites you on an unforgettable exploration! This spectacular show features room after room of carefully crafted topiary animals, beautiful blooms,exciting interactive stations and so much more!
• Butterfly Forest
  Open now through Sept. 7, watch colorful butterflies break free of their chrysalises to soar and glide among beautiful Phipps blooms. One may even land on you!
• Tropical Forest Panama: Bridge to Biodiversity
  Embark on a spectacular journey through the lush vegetation and vibrant culture of Panama, the incredibly biodiverse land bridge connecting North and South America, in our immersive new Tropical Forest Conservatory exhibit
• Growing Community Through Food
  Open now in Phipps' Edible Garden, Growing Community Through Food celebrates six of our dedicated and resourceful neighbors working in large and small ways across our region to ensure that everyone can enjoy fresh, affordable (and tasty!) food.
• Bountiful Bouquets: A Youth Art Exhibit
  In this annual exhibit in our Welcome Center, view blossoms of the jungle crafted by Fairchild Challenge student participants.
• Metamorphosis: A Youth Sustainable Art and Fashion Exhibit
  Enjoy a sustainable gallery full of art created by the Pittsburgh Youth Leaders in Sustainability Network from Carnegie Mellon University’s Sustainability Initiative and Phipps' Youth Climate Advocacy Committee (YCAC) now in Phipps' Center for Sustainable Landscapes.
• Native Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Their Bird Associates and Pollinators
  In Phipps' Garden Center, plant lovers of all ages can now enjoy stunning illustrations of native plants and their pollinators symbiotic relationships. 
• Planets Earth Virtual Exhibit
  A dynamic exhibit at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (and now online) addresses the pressing environmental issues of our time and proposes a new way of thinking about how to solve them.

Wed., Aug. 6: 

• In-Person Story Time | 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
  Kids will love visiting Phipps to listen to our storyteller weave tales about gardens, fruits, vegetables, animals and other fun topics. Attend weekly sessions with a special child in your life.
• Growing Fall and Winter Crops | 7 – 8 p.m.
  Want to eat fresh from your garden even when it's cold? By adapting planting strategies used by farmers to grow year-round, you too can be harvesting crops in winter. Learn what can be planted for November harvests, how to overwinter for crops in late February and March and how winter planting differs from other seasons. Fall clean-up and maximizing fall yields will also be mentioned.

Thurs., Aug. 7:

• Biophilia: My Plate, My Power | 6 – 7 p.m.
  Join us for a virtual and in-person Biophilia meeting to discuss the ways purposeful utilization of land can help grow food, farmers and the community! Liz Metzler from Hilltop Urban Farm (HUF) will discuss the three programs that are central to the HUF mission: the community farm, youth farm and farmer incubator program. Many neighborhoods that make up the Hilltop are deemed a High Food Priority Access Area (HFPAA) by the city of Pittsburgh, making the farm’s work incredibly impactful.

 

Photos © Paul g. Wiegman